Merfolk
by Nienna Carnesir
Summary: Love for Ragetti, Sister for Pintel, Daughter of Davie Jones. I couldn't stop myself from adding her. sorry! lol Unfinished until the last movie comes out...
1. Chapter 1

Ragetti and Pintel were looking around at all the witch's things, listening to her stories and warnings, when Ragetti spotted something familiar amongst the things on the table next to him and picked it up to inspect more thoroughly. The witch saw what Ragetti had picked up and trailed off, watching him. He was obviously a little disturbed by the object he was holding, as if it called up memories long forgotten. Jack and Will noticed the Tia's silence and adverted gaze, following her gaze to the other pirate.

"What have yeh there mate?" Jack asked, in which Pintel finally realized everyone's eyes were on Ragetti.

He smacked his friend, rather hard, "Don't be touch'n anyth'n!"

With the force of Pintel's hit Ragetti's wooden eye popped out of his socket and rolled across the floor. Pintel followed the eye's progress across the floor in amazement as Ragetti didn't even move, where as he usually darted wildly after the thing.

"What's wrong mate?" He asked, worried. Nothing could usually capture his friend's attention this thoroughly. You could hear the faint rolling sound of the eye fade off.

"Siren," Ragetti finally said.

Tia grinned, "Aye, tha' be a siren painted on the pearl. Did you want to barter fer it?" Ragetti handed the little jewelry piece over to Pintel.

"It's Siren's!" He told his friend firmly. There was a large pearl with an inked picture of a siren sitting on a sea rock on it, white ink. The pearl was dark and as big as a man's thumb, shining blues and greens glimmered along the edges marking it a black pearl. The ribbon, also black, tied to the silver lining cradling the pearl made it so that it would sit tightly tied onto a woman's neck perfectly. Pintel turned the necklace over, glancing up at his friend.

"Nah, it would be embroidered here with..." He trailed off as he spotted small white embroidered words trailed along the length of the inside of the ribbon.

"From the sea I come, to the sea I'm drawn, in the meantime I'll live and love, until death doth let me roam," Tira said, reciting the words on the ribbon from memory. Ragetti darted over to Jack and grabbed the gun from his belt, pointing it at Tira.

"Where's Siren?" He demanded.

The witch glowered at the pirate, "She not be here. She went out to fetch some things with her daughter." The last of her words seemed to hurt Ragetti and he lowered the gun, stepping back. Jack snatched the gun from his crewmate, while Pintel grabbed onto Ragetti's arm to support him.

"Then they've been here?" Pintel asked. Tira nodded, "Aye. Not being able to force her babe to be around the undead, she stayed here. She had me teach her how to listen to the sea, so then she could learn more from It." Mr. Gibbs was frowning and scratched his head, "Who be this 'siren'? She not be the creatures of myth. The ladies who call sailors to their death on jagged rocks?" Pintel and Jack shook their heads.

"Siren, Jack knows. She was a servant in a whorehouse. I took her from it, she called me brother and fell in love with that maggot." Pintel said the last not with dislike, but affection. As if it were a pet name he liked to use. There were splashes from outside and a small child with black hair came running through the door, dressed in a long green tunic and a darker green skirt that stopped at her knees in jagged angles.

"Auntie Dalma!" The girl shouted happily, struggling to hold onto the large sack in her arms. "Look at what mama and I got! Just like you asked." Tia took the bag, peeked inside and nodded.

"Very good child, go put this in the other room and change real quick, I have some people here for you to meet and they don't need to be soaked by yer clothes." The girl nodded, eyeing the men in the room and ran off.

Tira placed a hand to her hip, glaring at Ragetti.

"She is still outside. Siren loves the water and has a tendency to do things for the others who live here. She and the child live here, with me, but use what Siren earns from the others as payment." Ragetti looked like he wanted to run out the door in search of Siren. Pintel grabbed his arm, "Focus on what's important mate. Who's tot do you think that was?" Ragetti looked down, "Siren and mine." Pintel nodded, "She had good reason to not come back. Run'in out there and hollering at 'er won't help." Ragetti frowned, "I wasn't gonna yell at 'er!" Jack swaggered over to where they were, "Siren and YOUR child? When did that happen?" There was a feminine, bubbly, laugh from the door. They all turned to see a woman with black hair that shimmered like a black pearl, milk white skin and an hourglass figure. She had on black trousers, a red bustier that just blocked her breasts from being visible beneath the soaked white shirt. There seemed to be faded tattoos of scales beneath her ears that trailed down her shoulders and even a few of the same tattoos down on her ankles.

"It happened about a year after the mutiny. We aren't far off in age, like you thought Jack." The girl tossed something over their heads, to Ragetti. He fumbled to catch what she had thrown, but Pintel caught it instead. It was Ragetti's eye. Pintel handed the eye to his friend and made his way to where the girl stood in the doorway.

"Siren, you water fer brains!" He growled at her, but with the same affectionate tone to his voice. The girl, apparently Siren, grinned and made a motion with her hand. The water from her clothes seemed to put itself from them and fall to the floor, leaving her dry. After she had done this she hugged Pintel tightly, she was a head taller but her hair fell down past her butt, allowing for Pintel to bury his face in it.

"I missed you too," she said. Jack went over to them and tapped on her shoulder, holding his arms wide for a hug as well. Siren let go of Pintel and hugged Jack. "I'm glad you're okay," she told him. He nodded, "With thanks to you lass." The little girl came back out and frowned at the scene before here, "Okay. What's going on?" Her hair had turned to a dirty blonde color. She had a small towel, more a rag than a towel, and was drying her hair off with it. The tips of her hair were still black. As she scrubbed them with the towel the black faded to blonde. You could see as she rubbed her face that her skin, as it dried, tanned and her eyebrows turned the same mousy blonde as her hair was.

"Echo, sugar, come here. You remember the stories I told you about your Uncle Jack and Pintel? Well they've finally found us!" Siren winked a Jack, who nodded and grinned. The little girl, known as Echo, ran over to Jack and jumped up into his arms.

"You're Uncle Jack right?" He nodded, giving her his free hand to shake, "It's a pleasure to finally meet you." She took it and shook it with her own, "Yes. I've been looking forward to meeting you. Mama always tells stories." She looked around at all the other men, then set sights on Ragetti and Pintel. "By what Mama always says, you look like Uncle Pintel. But who're you?" She was meaning Ragetti. Pintel looked like his head might explode, "You didn't tell her about her own-," Siren swiftly clamped a hand over Pintel's mouth and shook her head. "Keep quiet, there's a reason for this," she told him firmly. Echo had sucked in her lower lip and was nibbling on it thoughtfully.

"Uncle Jack can you put me down for a second?" she asked finally. Jack set her promptly on her feet, then watched her make her way to her father. She grabbed Ragetti's jack with both hands and pulled, " Come down here." He knelt down, unable to tear his gaze for her face. She looked just like her mother, besides the odd change in coloring that seemed to match his own. He touched her cheek, then her hair. She tilted her head, "So THAT'S who you are. I thought so, but wasn't sure." Echo turned to her mother, hands on her hips.

"Why didn't you tell me?" She demanded. Siren shrugged casually, but you could see the relief and longing in her yes.

"Had to see if my training's been getting through that thick skull of yours didn't I? If you couldn't sense your own father, then what good has been staying here done for us?" Tia cleared her throat and Siren smiled apologetically, "No offense Tia dear." The witch waved a hand at her, "None taken. I've had it easy since you two've been here." Jack made a little "Hmph" noise, impressed.

"Not many people can get her to say something like that," he told Will. Will had been looking from one person to other, completely confused, as well had the other two men who had followed them inside. Mr. Gibbs and Marty kind of stood to the side while the others were engaged in their conversation. Echo turned back to her new found father and grinned, throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him. Ragetti looked as if he were about to cry and swooped the girl up in his arms. Siren watched the two, tears in her eyes. Pintel patted her shoulder, "Been hard has'n it?" She nodded and let a couple tears fall. Pintel hugged his 'sister' with one arm around her waist, in a half hug. Echo let go of her tight grip and turned to her mother, her little brows pushed together with worry.

"Why are you feeling so happy and yet crying Mama?" She asked her mother. Siren shook her head, wiping the tears from her face. "Remember there are a lot of different kinds of tears, just like we have feelings there is a tear for each one." Echo nodded and smiled, "Is that why Daddy's crying?" Siren nodded and walked over to the them. "'Getti you aren't too mad at me are you?" She asked. Echo let her father put her down, "I can't be mad at you." Siren laughed, a nervous but happy burst, and hugged her beloved tightly. They whispered a few things to each other, making one another grin, while Echo went over to Pintel to greet and hug properly. Siren had turned back to the group, Ragetti standing behind her with his head on her shoulder and his arms rapped around her tightly. It was almost like he didn't want to let go, for fear of loosing her again. She absently stroked his hands and glared at Tia.

"You could have warned me they were coming," she said with false hostility. Tira shrugged, "What fun would that have been?" Siren nodded and frowned at the people she didn't know, "I see you've a new crew Jack." He nodded and patted Mr. Gibb's shoulder, "They're a good crew. No mutiny in sight." Siren laughed and hugged Ragetti's arms, then layed eyes on Will. Her eyes got wide and her daintily arched eyebrows jumped to her hairline. "Oh my," she said. "You look so much like..." She moved her head to one side so she could look at Ragetti, "Is he who I'm thinking he is?" Ragetti nodded, "Yep. He's bootstraps' son." "Will," Siren said and pulled from Ragetti's grasp to walk over to him. "You're father basically adopted me while he was still alive," She shot Pintel and Ragetti a searing glance that made them both duck their heads in shame, "and he told me a lot of you. He loved you a great deal." She held out her hand, "It's an honor to finally get to meet you." Will took her hand, a little unsure. Jack sighed and gave Will and good shove, "She's yer new sister now mate. Get used to getting hugged a lot, she does it constantly." Siren patted Will and gently moved him aside. Jack's eyes got wide and he trotted over to Tira, "Now, now pet...let's play nice." Pintel grabbed a towel and twirled it, then snapped it against Siren's butt. She jerked with surprise and whirled to glower at Pintel, who then picked up Echo and moved her in between them.

"Stop with yer evil playing, we need to hurry along," Mr. Gibs said.

Jack nodded and stepped back from behind Tia, who just smirked, "Yes, back to business."

Tia held up a hand to stop Jack and pointed to Siren with the other hand.

"She will lead you where you want to go much better than I could tell you. Since she be the only heir of Davie Jones'." Everyone turned to look at Siren who was looking at her feet, which were nice and clean from being in the water.

"You've been training to be a real siren then?" Ragetti asked. He was unusually calm and not fidgeting. Will noticed that Pintel had a similar reaction to her, where as he still sounded as grouchy as usual there wasn't anything remotely similar to those feelings behind the words. Echo seemed content in her uncle's arms, more or less sitting on his hip.

"I'm just a creature of the sea, unfortunately like my father. I happen to have little attributes similar to sea creatures, but that's all. I'm not training to be anything really, though I picked up a few tricks from Tia. She also taught me how to listen to the sea better. I would have come back, eventually."

"I don't think your new companions understand your situation my dear," the witch said. "Maybe you should sing for them." Siren, Echo, Jack, Ragetti and Pintel all shook their heads.

"Not a good idea," Siren said. "Nope, not a good one," Ragetti agreed.

Jack groaned and swaggered over to the girl, "Then do those of us who DO know you and would like to head out as soon as possible, the favor of showing our other members just what you are." Siren sighed and started for the door, "Then I'll just show them what happens when I'm fully submerged in water." Pintel and Ragetti looked at each other with worried looks, then turned with the rest to follow her out the door. She stepped down and then dived into the water. You could see her pale features drift through the water, her black hair floating behind her gracefully. She swam around and came back to where they were all crouched down to pear into the water.

She peeked up at them just below the surface. You could see through the gritty water that what had seemed like tattoos were actual scales along her skin now, below her ears on her neck, then went down along her shoulders and along her arms. They couldn't see it but the scales went from the neckline of her hair, and along her spine. Webbing had sprouted from between her fingers and along her cheekbones had appeared slits, where a gill for each cheek had appeared.

"She is a Siren," Will said in disbelief.

"Stick yer head in the water and you'll never understand why you have to surface," Tia said teasingly. Will had turned to look at the witch as she spoke and when he turned back Siren jumped out of the water to flare fins at the sides of her head and hiss at him, showing two elongated fangs. Every one of the men fell back, but for Jack, Pintel and Ragetti. Echo merely giggled.

Ragetti patted Will's shoulder while Siren and the Witch cackled, "She loves to spook people with that. But as long as she don't bite yeh, yer fine."

"Oh shoosh, 'Getti. Don't be telling all my secrets." Her voice had changed, there was a little bubbling noise to it that made her sound like she was speaking from underwater.

"Be careful girl! Don't lead them into any rocks!" Tia called after them. Siren laughed and motioned for them all to board their boats again and swam out in the water a little.

"Oh and Jack!" The witch called after him from her doorway.

He stopped in mid walk to the boats, "Just a moment lads." He jumped up the steps.

"Take this, it will help you," Tira said. Jack held the jar she'd handed him, looking at it dubiously.

"It's dirt," he said.

"Yes, the one thing Davie Jones can't do is go on land. Only once every few years can he step foot on ground again."

"Soooo...this will help?"

She shrugged, "It's bettah than noth'n."

"Ah, thank you. And what do I do about the girls? Will they help?"

Tia shook her head, "He doesn't know about her or her child. She's really more a mix between sirens and mermaids, Jack. She can make one fin out of her legs. You know she can sing like a Siren, but there are tricks with that. What you don't know is that she can smell in the water as well as other things now, having spent so much time here. She knows how to trail things like a dog on land. Then the child's no different in all this. Except that her hair and skin changes when she's dry, like you've already seen."

She turned him and pushed him back down the steps, "Now go. You haven't much time." He trotted down the steps and stopped, glaring at the couple in the water, Echo swimming around her father playfully.

"What in the world are you doing in there?" He asked Ragetti.

"She sang him down," Pintel said disgustedly.

Will frowned at Pintel, "I didn't hear anything."

Jack shrugged and hopped into the boat, "Well it's only logical she can choose who she's singing to of course. Only work her magick on one person. I thought it didn't work on him though." Pintel shrugged, "I think the girl helped. And she's probably learned a few new tricks." Siren had a hold of one Ragetti's arm, while Echo had a hold of his other. They were pulling him back the way they had originally come. Echo's hair had turned the same shade black as her mother's, shimmering in different colors like a black pearl. Her skin was milky white with pale green scales in the same places her mother had them.

"Come on lads! This way!" Ragetti called back.

They started to row after them, Pintel grumbling about how an idiot like that can catch such a girl was beyond what his mind could understand. The men obviously agreed with those notions and the ones on the other boat talked amongst themselves, wondering why such a 'beautiful girl' would pick someone like Ragetti. They were in the middle of their long insults of Ragetti when something bumped their boat and Siren lurched out of the water, hissing in their faces.

"Don't talk about my 'Getti like that," she said in a low tone, "ever."

"Oye! Siren!" She had left Ragetti with Echo on the other side of the boat Jack, Will, and Pintel were in. She let go of the boat and let herself sink below the water, glaring at the men in the other boat until she was out of view under the other boat. Mr. Gibbs, elbowed Marty in the boat behind the others, "Best not make that one angry. Keep our mouths shut." Marty nodded and glanced at Cotton, "At least he doesn't have to worry about it."

All the men rowed in silence after this, until they reached The Black Pearl. Once on board and Siren was once again looking human and had rid herself of the water clinging to her, the men went off to grumbled about temperamental women and the sensitivity of mer-folk. Siren let them talk, as she and Echo indulged themselves in the recollections Pintel, Ragetti, Will and Jack told of their previous adventures.

"How did you get on The Pearl?" Will finally asked Siren after one of Pintel and Ragetti's excitedly told recollections and work had been resumed, while Echo had climbed up one of the masts to look out at the sea better. She smiled and looked down at her bare feet. "I was born into a whorehouse. My mother died giving birth to me, at least that's what the whores told me. I don't think she was a whore, but that was as far as she could get. I figure if you have a household of women, they should be able to help a little, she must of known that and stayed for that reason alone. I don't know and don't want to know personally. But, I was horribly drawn to the sea. They treated me as a servant in that house and they'd keep it that way too until I 'came of age' to start in 'the trade' I guess that's the way of things." She looked back at Will and he saw that her eyes had changed from clear blue to a deep blue that looked almost black.

"I learned proper language skills by just listening to everyone and even taught myself how to write from little things I stole from the tutors that would come by. I stole a lot more than that though. They never could figure out that it was me. I hid my little stolen treasures and myself so they'd never find out. No one could accuse me of stealing, and the house slowly got a bad name. Only Pirates and other 'lower ranked' people came." She looked out to where Ragetti and Pintel were bickering over something.

"Pintel came in and saw me, he watched me and saw that even though you couldn't really catch me at it, that I'd be near when something would go missing. He figured it out and with a small conversation we had planned my escape."

She shrugged, "I would have gone with him no matter what the price. I ended up only having to share what profitable things I had hidden, and then he could pay my way out and even have a profit. Me and the money being his profit."

Will sat down on the steps that lead to the helm and motioned for her to sit with him. She sat down and continued with her story.

"He took me with him to where this ship was docked, about thirteen years ago, I was still a bit of a thing then and he wasn't as bald then as he is now, that happened a little later."

Jack was hollering at Pintel and Ragetti, apparently feeling completely different on whatever they had been bickering about before. Like they always do, Ragetti and Pintel joined together and started to bicker back to the 'intruders' view. Siren laughed softly, hiding her smile with a hand.

"He recognized the sailor in me, even if I didn't care for stealing I would do it and that was enough to qualify me as a pirate. We hid my sex for a while with a coat and breeches. I know Jack believed it, he called me lad so many times that when I revealed that I was a girl he about fell off the ship in surprise."

Siren pulled her knees to her chest and glanced at Will, "Am I boring you? Remember, you DID ask."

Will shook his head, "No, you're not. I think it's interesting you knew Jack as Captain before the mutiny. What I'm curious about is how you escaped the curse and stayed out of Barbosa's clutches."

She looked a little guilty at this, "Well, to answer your question about Barbosa, I came just after I gave birth to Echo and told him that the child was born dead because I was a half breed and couldn't have children, thus he had nothing to break the curse. I told him not to tell Pintel and Ragetti, because I wanted to. Barbosa is a bit of an ass, but like Pintel he has a soft side that I can exploit." She stuck her tongue out in a playful manner and made Will chuckle.

"I see that," he said.

She laughed, "And the curse part is easy. I may be a sea lover, but I hate treasure. I might have stolen in the whorehouse, but I was deprived there. I'm not in the same predicament here. Treasure is their weak spot," she motioned to the rest of the crew, "love is ours." She winked at Will, the smile dropped from his face and he looked a little uncomfortable.

"Don't worry. I love the sea and Ragetti. You love that girl of yours," at this he relaxed a little. "I didn't mean anything else by it," she assured him and shrugged. "You're not my type anyway."

They both had a good laugh at this. That's what caught Ragetti's attention, Siren's tinkling laughter. He left Pintel to fend for himself against Jack and went to sit behind Siren, hugging her. "We're talking about how I avoided the curse," Siren told him with a smile.

"Ah, well she don't like pillag'n. Says it's barbaric," Ragetti told Will.

Siren nodded, "And I saw that bible in your pocket 'Getti! You been trying to clean up, then?"

"He don't know how to read," Pintel said as he made his way to where they were, obviously fed up with arguing with Jack. "It doesn't count if you don't know what yer learning."

"You gets points fer try'n!" Ragetti argued. Siren patted his hands, "Course you do." Pintel opened his mouth to argue.

"Shut up, Pintel," Siren told him tartly, "You do get an extra consideration for trying your hardest. And since trying usually brings the attention of those better educated in the subject to you, then it truly is an extra 'point'."

She kissed Ragetti's cheek. "I'll read some of it to you later okay?"

Pintel looked a little forlorn, "Can I listen too?"

She laughed and nodded, motioning for him to sit on the stair below her. He did and she hugged him then was in turned hugged by Ragetti.

Jack had swaggered over to the railing next to Will, putting his arms just inside the spaces between the railings.

"They're a family," he told Will with a nudge. "Pintel's her brother and Ragetti her lover. Then Pintel and Ragetti are like brothers. Close friends. Always are."

He pointed at Siren, "You young miss have an apology to make fer not sticking up fer me at the mutiny!"

She arched a brow and glared at him, "Your memory must be clipped because I did try my best to reason with them."

"No, no, no! You didn't use your voice to keep them from throwing me on that blasted island!" She shrugged, "I'm the one who came up with the idea remember? I KNEW you'd be all right and get off of there in a couple days." Ragetti and Pintel looked at her with curious stares.

"You knew he'd get off?" Pintel asked. She nodded and patted his cheek, "Which is why you only got one week of snubbing from me." Ragetti leaned his head on her shoulder, "Why didn't you snubs me then?" She leaned back against Ragetti, making him move and let her rest her head back against his stomach.

"Well, I couldn't ignore you could I? You're my best friend and love. Then, you didn't really care for getting rid of Jack. You were just following what everyone said and did."

They both tapped a finger on the ends of their noses, "Which kept ya alive now didn't it?" He nodded, smiling. Will had gone quiet, thinking about how his father had protested and paid the price for it.

"I guess that was smart," he said quietyly.

Siren sat up and turned to Will, hugging him. She truly did hug a lot. "I'm so sorry about your dad. He was such a wonderful man, but he couldn't sit back and not tell his piece."

Will patted her a little awkwardly and she sat back with a curious look on her face, "You're just not used to people, and then you aren't much of a hugging person," She tapped his sword with a finger as she said the last.

Will shrugged, "I manage."

She nodded and hugged Pintel, "I'm lucky I got these guys. They don't really care how much I hug them." Pintel rolled his eyes, "That's only because we've seen the fuss you make when you're not given any attention for a while." That earned him a good smack upside the head by Ragetti.

"Thas no way to talk to a lady." Both Siren and Pintel snorted.

"Lady," she said, as if that was something silly to call her.

"You've gone and hit yer head too many times to think that she's a lady."

Of course that earned Pintel yet two more smacks upside the head, one from Ragetti and one from Siren. Then he lurched up off his seat and started after Ragetti who just batted at him, while Siren kept pushing him at arm's length.

Will escaped the mess by following Jack up the stairs. The three of them were hollering at each other for about a half-hour, then Siren jumped off the side of the ship with Echo in tow. Ragetti went off somewhere below decks and Pintel was working furiously at his duties on deck, grumbling about mermaids and idiots with 'wood fer brains'.


	2. Chapter 2

After escaping into the sea Siren watched her daughter play amongst the sea creatures. Thinking of her conversation with Will she found herself drifting in memories of her past.

Looking out the window I saw that it was raining again. We were close enough to the sea that we got a lot of the poor weather that stormed on the coasts, but not so close that I could see it from any of the windows. I had just turned thirteen. None of the ladies really celebrated my birth, but at least gave me the grace of knowing the date I was born on. I liked my privacy anyway.

I had started to develop breasts just last year and they were little round lumps now. If the head lady of the whore house I lived in knew this she would have started to whore me out like she did the other occupants of my home. I had grown in the care of a girl who had once been a servant like me. She was at least five years ahead of me and had been taken away the minute she had started to 'blossom', as the ladies liked to call it. That blossom was plucked, none the gently either. The man who broke her ended up having to pay a rather hefty fine, but that didn't bring back my friend. She threw herself off the three-story building, head first, during the night. I found her the next morning. Now would you want to be like that? I sure don't, so I keep myself bound nice and tight, staying as dirty and ugly as I can so they don't realize how much grown up I'm getting. I also hunch over when I'm around other people so they don't know I'm any bigger.

My petty thieving, trying to scrap enough up to buy myself out, had drawn a bad name to the house and only fisherman, farmers and other scruffs would come by. The noble men left and with them my hope for an escape. I never knew of pirates, until the fishermen started talking about the mysterious new ship and it's plunderers. I was mesmerized by the idea, but that didn't keep my hand still from taking the extra trinkets these men had on them.

The man standing just outside the doorway saw how I had been just near the objects found to be missing just before they actually did go missing. I knew it when I looked at him and that he could rat me out, so I approached him. I didn't know what kind of word game I could play on this one so I tried for blunt tactics and see what he knew.

"You going to tell on me?" He grinned, showing his teeth weren't well kept, but he had an interesting gleam in his eye.

"Show me what you have and maybe I won't."

I shrugged, "Trinkets and what-not, but you have to do something for me first." I made sure to keep my voice low and not give away the fact that I was a girl, then led him to my secret hiding place.

"What do you want?"

I rolled my eyes, "I'm owned by these whores and I want out. I can't stand the stench and never getting my piece around here."

He laughed and nodded, "Sure pip-squeak, I'll get ya out."

I grabbed a sack I'd kept in the wall of the shed right outside the back and gathered all the good stuff up, "Stay here and I'll go by the pawn shop to cash these in." He grabbed me by the shoulder.

"I'll go with ya. I don't want you to sneak off without me seeing."

I shrugged his hand off and led him away from the house, where the ladies of the wouldn't spot us. The pawn man tried to lower the worth and price, but he didn't fool me. I threatened him with the knowledge of his Saturday visits to the whorehouse.

He turned green, "No one knows about that."

I wrinkled my nose, "They always say I'm no one. So yeah, of course I know." I motioned to my older friend, "If you don't hurry it along and give me what's due for these pretty things then he'll just start hollering up a storm and I'll sneak away to your precious wife and tell her the whole thing."

I twirled one of the little bobbles, "So?"

He about fell over his own feet trying to get to his cash chest, counting out more money than I'd ever seen. This seemed to really please my older companion. He patted my head and said, "Good work." I sniffed and tapped my nose.

"I have a knack for black mail. Been doing this for a while." We both chuckled and left after I promised not to tell anyone about the pawn shop owner's sins. I showed the other man what would take to buy me out and told him what to say.

"Just don't make it look like I'm important to you, that you just need a cheep slave. If you dare hit me or anything I'll bloody bite one of your fingers off, so don't bother doing that." I glared at the man, just to make it look like I could do what I threatened. He didn't buy it, but didn't have the heart to actually say anything to me.

"You have a name tyke?" I had to think back on this, what had my friend called me?

"Rain, I think is what they used to call me. I loved it when it rained and would play outside. Don't care for the name, but until I find a new one that'll do." He shook his head, "All right 'Rain', I'm Pintel. Stick close and try to hide behind me."

When I stood up straight while walking with him I was just a little past his shoulder, taller than I realized. Then again, I thought, he's awful short for a man. I kept my teeth fairly clean but never smiled enough so you could see them, on our way back I made the mistake of doing what I'd tried to train myself not to do, smile. He stopped and peered at me.

"Those your baby teeth Rain?"

I shook my head and pulled out a little brush I'd made, "I use this and it keeps them clean as long as I don't eat nothing nasty that sticks. Why?"

He grabbed my chin, "Smile."

I snarled at him instead, showing my teeth.

"How's that?"

I think my attitude was the only thing that saved me from getting them all pulled after he bought me. Teeth like mine were worth a lot. I tried to bite his fingers until he let me go.

"Hey! Watch what your snapp'n at or I won't help ya!"

I snarled again at him, "Yeah well. Just because other ninnies don't take care of their teeth like they should doesn't mean I have to suffer for it!"

I shoved some of the mud-gritted hair out of my face, "So don't be getting any horrible ideas. I already told you I'd bite."

Pintel kind of gave me a dubious look, but just ruffled my hair again and kept going towards the whorehouse. I was a little leery about him, thinking he'd betray me. I was wrong to think that, he saw the spit fire I had in me and knew I'd be handy later what with my obvious knack at thievery and love of the water. I didn't know he was a pirate until I heard the head lady call him it. I had to hold my breath to keep from reacting, having hunched back over and cowering behind him.

"You want that mangy mutt for your crew? What ship are ya sailing to be that desperate?" I hated the way she talked, it was like hearing nails on glass.

Pintel laughed, "I can't be telling ya tha' now miss, now could I? Anyway, it not be yer business what I'm gonna do with 'em, more like how much I'm gonna pay." He tossed a fairly small sack on her lap.

"There be what I'm offering, what with 'em being a hunch back idiot." Still I kept my breath held, wanting to bite him just for the insult. I knew it was a ploy, but still! How rude, I thought. The head lady agreed at the bundled price and let him shove me ahead outside. We both walked in silence until we were far out of sight from the whorehouse, then I hooted and hollered for all I was worth.

"Free, free, free! Ha! Whoring bitches! Heh..." I knew my voice wasn't the deep thing I'd been hiding under, but the lack of surprise on Pintel's face made me a little angry.

"You knew I was a girl then?" He nodded, putting his hands in his pockets.

"Only a girl can steal like you and be as smart as you." He took out a hand and pointed a finger at me, glaring."Don't be going around telling people I said that either!" I crossed my heart and skipped along the road a bit, enjoying not having to hunch over.

"Why'd you come all the way out here? We're pretty far from the sea, at least that's what they tell me." I earned a hearty laugh for that silly comment.

"They tricked you then, just past these high hills is the sea. Why do you think the fishermen go to that house? Cause it's not that far! And there ain't be one in the coast town yet." I turned to walk backwards and glared at the house in the distance.

"Bitches. You didn't leave anyone back there with them did you?" He shook his head.

"Everyone else are trying to gather men for the crew. The ship we'll be on is fairly newly owned, but you'll like it there. That is if yeh want to join." I stopped walking and just stared at the ground in awe.

"Serious? You're not joking? You want me to join your crew?"

He ruffled my hair again, "With yer smarts and slight of hand, yer perfect." I don't think I've ever really hugged anyone before, but I hugged Pintel right then. At first I think we were both surprised, then he hugged me back and I could relax a little. My first bit on board wasn't nearly as chaotic as for some of the others.

Pintel made sure to introduce me to the captain and then his best mate, Ragetti. I didn't know what it was but I liked his friend. My first impression was that he was a bit dim, but that changed as I heard him and Pintel argue. My opinion changed even more when I saw and heard them working together. Even though it seemed like Pintel was aggressive and mean, he was still best mates with Ragetti and would stick up for the other lad any time.

Crewmates were still being assembled and only a few stayed on the actual ship for a few days. I was one of the first newly attained crewmates. That gave the three of us time to bond. I also felt comfortable enough to unwrap myself and wear the clothing Pintel had gone and bought me, with my portion of the coin we'd gotten from the Pawnshop owner. Apparently I hadn't cost very much and he had divided what we'd gotten in fairly even portions. Though, he got more because he did bring me with him and he hadn't had to. Then he'd given only a small portion of my side to buy me. I still had a lot left over and able to buy myself more suitable clothing.

In fact I was able to scrub myself clean and see that my hair was more than black, it shinned colors. I wore a bandana to block it from view until I had Pintel and Ragetti in private.

"Good grief, you are a girl. Look at you! You better keep those wrapped so the captain and crew don't notice."

I shrugged, "Fine, but look at this!" I undid the knot in the back and took away the bandana. Ragetti reached out to touch the soft flow of my hair. It reached down to about my shoulders, not any longer because I used to hack it with a knife to keep it more manageable.

"This is so pretty, I didn't know I had it!" I shook it out and starred at the colors.

"You should hide that too lass," Pintel said.

"Aww," Ragetti said. "I like it though. It makes her eyes glow." He tweaked my nose playfully, making me laugh.

Pintel rolled his eyes, "Too bad. She has to pretend to be a lad until the others get to the point where they don't care." He motioned for me to put back on the bandana. I did and hid all the hair I could under it.

Later, Ragetti helped me dirty up the curls that wouldn't stay under with dirt and sand.

"Seems a shame to ugly these pretty curls and hide your new clothes right when you finally gots 'em," he remarked sadly.

I shrugged, "It's better than what I was doing. At least now my back won't hurt." He helped me pick out a pair of trousers that would fit loosely enough, not giving away my gender, but wouldn't fall off at the same time. Then we bought a coat to put on me, "It gets cold at sea sometimes anyway," Ragetti assured me. Pintel approved of our little disguise, making sure to button me up for the 'finishing touch'.

"Make sure you don't speak high either. And try not to talk so proper."

I rolled my eyes, "I don't talk properly. I just talk better than you do." He took a half hearted swing at me, which I easily ducked away from. As time went on and we sailed, I hid myself easy enough. I didn't have to worry though. It turned out I was meant to be a Pirate. I could man a ship better than any of the others could. Captain Jack thought I was terrific and would even ask me to help with navigating the ship. Learning the maps and ways of things came as second nature to me. I could even steer better in a storm than others, knowing where there would be shallow waters and rocks when we were close to land.

Pintel had worried that I would be found out but they all left me alone. Jack called me 'lad' enough times for no one to really want to argue with him that I seemed a little odd for a 'lad'. Eventually both Pintel and Ragetti agreed that it didn't matter if I wore the coat closed anymore. Jack was more than surprised when he noticed my small chest, demanding to know what I'd done to get them. Pintel and Ragetti came to my defense, but I had to silence them so that negative attention wouldn't be brought to me.

"I've always been a girl," I told Jack quietly. "I just never realized how big a deal it would be to not correct you when you assumed I was a boy. I figured that it didn't matter as long as I was a good shipmate." I crossed my arms, pulling the coat closed over my chest. I tapped my bare foot against the deck, since no one had been able to find a boot small enough for my feet, waiting for Jack to make a decision.

"Fine, fine. But I'm not the one you need be worrying about, since my lusts go for other tastes, this isn't always so for other men of whom we also have aboard currently. Savvy?"

I groaned, "Savvy. What do I do then?" Pintel put a hand to my shoulder, "You don't go on your own for one thing. Always have me or Ragetti with you when you're not with Jack okay?" I eyed Jack, doubtfully.

"You're gonna keep me safe from ravenous pigs?"

He smiled, waging a finger at me.

"The honor of a lady is more precious than that of a pig's pride," then he swaggered off.

"Probably the sanest thing I've ever heard him say," I remarked with a wicked grin. Pintel chuckled and patted my shoulder, while Ragetti quietly laughed and darted down the stairs before us.

Despite that conversation soon after Jack made a pit stop, bringing only me on land, to make sure I was as protected as could be. The witch he took me to had enough pity for me and enough 'business' for Jack, which I stayed outside while they went over it all, that she offered me a little charm that would keep me free of a child if I ever was brutalized by any males. Pintel doubted the charm would work, but I didn't care. It had inspired my devious mind into other ideas.

The one time a man tried to force himself on me, I had been careless enough to venture below decks without a friend, I had played the part of a possession. And in a horrible voice, that I hadn't even known I could make, I said that I would bite off his dick if it came anywhere near me. He believed me and then later Jack kicked him to the sharks with a happy boot. The crew all knew then that I was a girl and not to be messed with unless they wanted me to castrate them viciously or be kicked off the ship even if we were still at sea.

Pintel reamed me for not having anyone with me and I made a new friend during all the hub-bub, his name was Bill. Everyone called him Bootstraps, but I liked to call him Bill. Seemed nicer to me at the time and he seemed to appreciate it enough. We were vast friends and he told me about his son, how he was about my age and that we would probably get along grandly. He became a father figure for me and made sure to let everyone know I was 'protected' by those who were important. They were all important, in a way, because they were all main hands on the ship.

First mate Barbosa also liked me, he had fun stories to listen to and I would coil rope with him just to hear them. What Pintel was to me at first was also kind of a father figure, because he saved me from the whorehouse. All though, as time went on he proved to be a bit younger than I originally thought him to be. His hair grayed and fell out pre-maturely, but he was still more of a brother to me in those later years. I told him that once and I swear I saw him blush under the little scruff of a beard he had, though I could never get him to admit it.

Ragetti was a whole other story. He was only a few years older than me and a few years younger than Pintel. Kind of put him in the middle, with me as the baby girl who needed protection all the time and Pintel as the older surlier brother figure that kept everyone on their toes with his gruff behavior. Ragetti was usually just a basket case of energy, but never thought he was literate enough to say anything. So, consequently, he seemed quiet when he was actually rather chatty and full of life. Then, Pintel said everything for him and then some. On more than one occasion I had to shut Pintel up to get Ragetti to say something for himself, instead of having the other man speaking for him. I think it brought him out of his shell a little.

We were all pirates to be reckoned with by the time that the mutiny took place. I hadn't really realized what was going on, having to deal with a new female problem as well as something else that didn't seem all too...human.

It wasn't too long after we had started sailing, but first mate Barbosa was the one who headed it. I was so angry at them all and fought, with words and fists, on Jack's behalf. They just weren't happy about something I didn't really understand. All I knew was that it was about treasure, so dismissed it as stupid and barbaric. I didn't really understand why anyone would want to go through with it. Jack was always a good Captain in my eyes.

I couldn't really argue with a mass, especially when my four other friends kept making excuses to the other men and shutting me up. Eventually Pintel and Bill had Ragetti take me to another room below decks. I think that's when Ragetti and I had a moment of argument that ended up with us kind of realizing how much we loved each other, as more than friends or family could. I didn't dwell on it though and I left him in his surprise to make sure they didn't do anything horrible to Jack. Eventually I found a way to keep him safe, in my newfound talents.

I had always been able to sense the sea, but lately whenever we would stop at an island and I would go for a swim, things happened to me and they weren't normal. I seemed to turn into a fish-like creature. None of my human characteristics were taken away at first, but the last time my legs had been free in a skirt, so that when I went for a swim to test my new powers, they formed together and made a huge fin! It was like the mermaids that I'd read and heard about. All of it had started with the flow of blood that girls get. Thankfully, I knew about it, mainly because of the whores. So it wasn't too big of a surprise. The minute I hit the water though, I stopped bleeding, but I got fins and gills. Every fish in the sea seemed to like me and would come to swim with me. I even met a shark on one occasion. This is all beside the point though.

I could sense the entire sea when I was close to it after this started. Being in a ship all the time, well, that's as close as you get besides actually swimming in it. So, in turn I could sense the islands and what was going to the islands by sea. I had tried to focus on a certain ship and found that they made odd patterns from one land mass to another.

Finally, I asked Pintel, as discreetly as I could, and he told me they were probably merchant ships that I was 'seeing'. I couldn't tell him about my 'oddities' yet, but he did answer my question. Thus, I was able to make an answer to Jack's problem.

Barbosa agreed to give him one bullet for his pistol and everything on his person then set him on an island, the usual way to do things like mutiny. Apparently it's part of the infamous 'code' everyone's always talking about. I swear I wanted to take a plank of wood and smack them all upside the head.

The island wasn't very big and it seemed like it wouldn't attract anyone so Jack would either die of hunger and thirst or shoot himself in the head, but I knew it to be the place that those 'merchant' ships kept going to. They would go there in a few days and find Jack, probably covered in coconuts sitting in a tree's shade, mourning his ship.

I was praised for my idea, but seethed at them all silently. I couldn't ignore Ragetti or stay mad at him, but the rest I snubbed for a long while after Jack was dropped off. They kept Jack down in the cages we had below decks, so I went to sit with him until we got to the island.

"Jack?" I peered into the dark, seeing my forlorn captain sitting on an upturned bucket. "Oh cap'n, I'm so sorry. I wish they would stop this silliness. But I promise you'll be okay on that island. Just keep your eyes to the sea and you'll see ships coming around soon enough." Jack tilted his head to one side and crept to where I was sitting next to the cage, crouching down to my level.

"What are you talking about lass?" I rolled my eyes, shoving some hair out of my face.

"Would you listen to me Jack? I just told you not to fret and that everything would be okay because ships would come there and you'd be able to get off the blasted island in a few days!" I smacked the hand that darted out of the cage to clench my shoulder, "Are you sure? How do you know?"

"Well, I heard them talking. That's how I know. It will seem like nothing is there, but they'll come. I think they have something hidden on the island." He held my hand, like it was a lifeline and he was drowning.

"Can you tell me who they are lass?"

I frowned, "Maybe."

Again, I called on the feelings I had within me. It sang to me in sweet bubbling tones, sounding of the waves of the sea hitting a ship, then on to men's voices. I closed my eyes, hearing something coming from Jack but not able to hear it fully, then saw what the sea saw. The ship's name and the names on the cargo crates on board. I told Jack the names I saw and opened my eyes to see his face hovering on the other side of the cage bars, staring at me in awe and wonder.

"Bloody hell," he said. I frowned and looked down to see my hand had changed as well as fins and gills sprouted where no human should ever have them. I made a soft sobbing noise that seemed to wake Jack up out of his awed daze. He soothed me as best he could, him being the way he is, and petted my hair as the odd fish characteristics slowly faded away. They left a look of scales in my skin in some parts of me. It kind of looked like a faded drawing to me.

"Is it all over me?" I asked, putting a hand to my cheek and felt the tears on my face. I pulled my hand away and starred at the water on my hands, "I've never cried before."

Jack wiped some of the tears away and touched under my ear, "You have little marks here." Then he touched my shoulders, "here," and pointed to my arms, "there," then at my feet, "and there." I rubbed at the ones along my shoulders and down my arms, trying to rub them off. Some faded away but others just wouldn't go away.

"How do I make them go away? They weren't there before!" Jack shook his head, "I don't know lass."

"Damn them!" I yelled as I hit the bars of the cage. "If it weren't for this stupid mutiny I wouldn't have these things!"

"Wot things?" A voice asked behind me. I whirled around to find Ragetti was crouching down on the stairs leading above. When he saw the marks his eyes got wide, but he didn't run off or go find Pintel. He came down and touched them gently.

"Are these bruises?" He asked. I shook my head, letting him touch the marks with gentle hands.

"No, where would I get bruises?"

"Me," Jack said.

I glared at Ragetti, "You know Jack would never do that! I'm as much his family as everyone else's!" Ragetti kept petting the places under my ears, where Jack said I had scale marks still. It soothed me, for some reason I couldn't realize yet, until Ragetti smiled and patted me.

"There. They're gone." I slap a hand to my neck and checked my arms and shoulders. They were gone, just like he said.

"What? Why? Jack! Help me here!" I smacked Jack's arms, which were resting through the spaces of the bars. He motioned with his hands as if he were smacking me back, but never touched me.

"I don't know! The only thing I can think of is mer-folk! You read, what have you read about them?" I frowned and recalled all the books and things that I've read.

"Well. Some of it I've read, but a lot is just by word of mouth."

Ragetti frowned, "You read a story to me about a mermaid. She only had scales on her fin, but you don't have a fin."

I shrugged, "I think they are a bit nicer in those stories 'Getti. In what I've heard sirens only look a little like mermaids. They can sing a man to his death, swim under water without having to come up for air, and are one with the sea." I frowned, "What I did to find out that thing just a bit before, Jack," as I attempted to be discrete and not tell Ragetti what I had planned to keep Jack safe. "I became the sea and felt what it felt. Saw what the ocean saw." Jack nodded, "Sounds reasonable." I think the mutiny was taking it's toll on Jack, he might have seemed interested but wasn't his usual self. Maybe it was being deprived of rum, a sober Jack just isn't Jack.

"Can you sing then?" Ragetti asked.

I shrugged, "Don't know, never tried before."

Jack pulled his hands in and tilted his hat to rest against the bars, "Then try girl."

I tried to hum a little and Ragetti shook his head, "Sing. You don't even need to say words to sing." I nodded and tried for a single 'note', like I'd read from books. I could feel my skin tingle as scales sprouted again, making me stop. I looked at Ragetti, who seemed fine but was looking past me with a strange expression. I turned to look at Jack who was frowning and shaking his head, rubbing his temples.

"Strange," he muttered.

I opened my mouth and tried to play with the sounds of my voice. It didn't seem to have an affect on Ragetti, but Jack starred at me with an odd expression and reached for me.

"Wait, Jack! No!" I backed away, Ragetti pulling me back to the steps.

"What in the devil is going on?!" I heard Barbosa shout from the levels above us. The men had apparently all moved towards me, following the sound of my voice. This included Barbosa and Pintel. Bill seemed almost immune to me like Ragetti. He obviously didn't liking what he heard and was the first one to find us.

"Were you singing?" He asked me. "I heard a girl's voice, but it gave me such a head ache. And it seems to be drawing the men below decks."

I hid my face against Ragetti, who covered what parts of me that had scales showing with his hands.

"Don't tell anyone what you just heard mate. You don't realize it's a voice calling you," Jack said. He looked annoyed. "Apparently only those already in 'love' are immune to her song."

With Ragetti's soothing hands slowly working at my skin I could feel the scales fading away from sight.

"Please don't tell Bill," I asked, lifting my head up. He motioned for me to come to him. I did and he hugged me, petting my hair.

"I won't tell a soul. You just stay here and I'll make up something to get them to go back up. Want me to send Pintel down?" I shook my head.

"I have to figure this out first. Jack's helping." Jack waved from his miserable little prison.

Ragetti pulled at my sleeve, "That's your real name." I blinked a couple times, trying to understand what he was trying to tell me.

"What are you talking about? Her name is Rain," Bill said. I shook my head. "That's just what you five have always called me, because that's what I used to be called at the whorehouse. I told Pintel and Ragetti when I first came on board that I would find my real name eventually."

"You're real name is Siren," Ragetti said firmly.

I raised my eyebrows, "Why are you so sure?" It sounded right. It described my nature pretty close. I was mischievous and loved the ocean.

"Cause, it just fits right." He tweaked my nose, which always makes me smile. "Siren it is then. But we'll not tell anyone just yet. Not until they forget this incident. You two stay down here, but not in this room. I'll go distract the others," Bill said and pushed us into the room where we keep the gunpowder. Ragetti lifted me up onto one of the barrels.

"You can sleep if you want, I won't let anyone in." He crossed his heart. I shook my head and patted the barrel next to mine. He hopped up on it and sat with me a little while, letting me think.

"Will you read to me?" Ragetti asked, pulling a small book from his pocket. I took the book and flipped through the pages, "This is a politic's book 'Getti. You don't want to hear what they have to say in this. Where'd you get it?"

He looked a little guilty, "Picked it off of a guy in our last stop."

I gave it back to him, "I can tell you stories I've heard if you like, instead." He nodded and I leaned against the wall, proceeding to tell him a few fairytales I'd read about.

Bill told Pintel where he'd last seen us, and that's where Pintel found us, sleeping soundly. Ragetti had leaned against the wall too, then pulled me to cuddle against him as we both fell asleep with fairies dancing in our heads.

"Is Ragetti really in love with the li'l lass?" Jack asked from his prison. "Shut up. It's not like she isn't old enough anyway. She's already turned fifteen and he's just twenty, I think."

"Hmmm, a little older I would guess," Jack said and then held his hands up as Pintel turned to glare at him, telling him to 'shut yer trap allready!'

I woke to Pintel's hollering, Ragetti still snoozing next to me. I tickled his stomach a bit, making him wake up with a smile.

"Pintel's yelling again," I said.

Ragetti kissed the top of my head, "I'd be scared if he wasn't yellin."

The kiss made me a little nervous, but I can't really stay nervous around Ragetti. No matter how upset I am.

"Pintel! Would you stop that yelling all ready?! You're giving me a head ache!" I covered Ragetti's ears while I yelled this at the other man, who then shut up and came back to the door to the room we were in.

"What were you two doing in here?"

"Well, I saw her go down to talk to Jack and keep him company, then she fell asleep telling me a story. So I brought her in here and fell asleep too." Pintel glared at his friend, "That all?"

I snarled at him for the accusation, anger flaring up inside me. I jumped off the barrel to dart at him and tackle him to the ground. I felt fangs sprout from my mouth and fins flared from the side of my head, "Don't talk that way! He wouldn't ever do that to me!" Pintel actually look scared. That shook me enough to make me back away into the shadows. I could never make Pintel scared like that, unless I was hurt. Then he'd be mad on top of scared, but for me. Not from me.

Ragetti peered around the doorway at me, "You okay?"

I shook my head over and over, covering the fins with my hands. Then I could feel the scream starting to build in my throat. Ragetti seemed to see my panic and ran over to me, Pintel followed but looked a little shocked. I screamed over and over into Ragetti's shoulder, sobbing and pulling painfully at the fins on the side of my head until they started to bleed. Then I felt Pintel's familiar hands on my own as he eased them away and held them in my lap. The screaming slowly stopped and was replaced with little hiccups and shaky breathing. "I'm so sorry," I kept whispering over and over. I pulled my hands out of Pintel's and touched my temples. The fins were gone so I cried a little more and fell asleep in Ragetti's arms from emotional exhaustion. I think it was mainly because I was loosing Jack and feeling so far from human with the new abilities, all of it was just too much.

"Well, that was the most girl-like thing I've ever seen her do," Jack said. Pintel threw a bucket at him, "Shut up you maggot! You'll be set right in a few hours. Hopefully she'll sleep it away!"

"Not if you keep yelling like that she won't," Bill said from the stairs. "What happened?"

"She screamed and cried and tried to rip off her fins when she got mad at Pintel and scared him," Ragetti said in a rush, cuddling me as I slept quietly. I saw them in my dreams, saying all this, but thought it was only a dream at the time. Bill had walked Ragetti and me to the sleeping quarters, then had Pintel stay with me while Ragetti went up to fill in his spot on deck. Pintel had apparently spent the night doing chores for himself and Ragetti, so Ragetti wouldn't be too missed. When Bill and Ragetti went to work, Ragetti made sure to stay with the other and explain what he knew of my sudden fishy bits.

While I slept and the others worked, which I could do since I did a lot when awake, Pintel rested with me. I remember my dreams changing from the Pintel's harsh words, to those that were more memory of Pintel saving me from the whorehouse, then to Bill hugging me and telling me everything would be okay. I woke up to Bill humming to me, holding me in the usual dirty hammock below deck that I shared with either Pintel or Ragetti. None of my companions trusted anyone else to let me have my own hammock. Bill had never slept with me though, so having him holding me made me think I was still dreaming for a moment.

"You awake then?" He asked.

I nodded, "What happened?" He shook his head.

"Don't know everything. You'll have to ask Pintel or Ragetti."

The tears started to fall again, "I made him afraid of me. I can't ever ask him to come around me again."

My tears alarmed Bill, he hadn't ever seen me cry before, and he tried to sooth me, "Who's afraid of you?"

"Pintel!" I sobbed.

He laughed, petting my hair, "No he's not. If he was would he be the first to watch over you while you slept today?"

I shook my head, "He wouldn't."

"Then he's obviously not afraid of you then."

"But I scared him last night! I saw his face!" I looked up at Bill, tears still in my eyes.

"What'd you do to make him look at you scared?" I let the tears fall, but resisted the urge to sob.

"He suggested that 'Getti made advances on me and I got mad. I tackled him to the ground, then I had fangs and fins. He probably thought I was a monster." He laughed and just shook his head again.

"You and those two have fought like that all the time, I doubt he'd be afraid of a little fishiness to you. Let me up lass and I'll be right back. I think Pintel needs to hear this and you need to hear him tell you himself that he isn't afraid of you." I moved and let Bill get up out of the hammock. He was careful to not tip me out while he got up. Ragetti took that moment to dart down the steps.

"You're up!" He ran over and hugged me, "Are you feel'n okay?"

I nodded and hugged him, in an almost clinging way. I guess that was a more accurate answer to his question, but I wanted to just feel better and not cry anymore.

"I've got a head ache," I told him. My voice was muffled in his shirt and coat. "Well I would have a head ache after all that screaming and crying last night too," Ragetti said and kissed me on the head again. He's awful touchy with me lately, I thought. I know he'd never do anything, but it just makes Pintel's thoughts seem more logical.

"I wish I'd not gotten so mad," I muttered. Ragetti laid back in the hammock and hugged me close to him. He was damp and smelt like seaweed.

"Pintel couldn't get them to stop throwing barnacles and seaweed at you again huh?"

I felt him shake his head, "He tries but only the captain can make them stop. Then they have to clean it all up." I listened to his laughter through his chest, soothed by the sound.

"Jack's always been good about that," I said. Then I sat up, "Jack! Oh god, is he still below deck or did they shove him overboard already!?"

Ragetti grabbed my arms to keep me from falling out of the hammock, "No, he's still locked up. We haven't gotten to the island yet." I sighed with relief and let him pull me back down. He held me tightly for a moment and I thought I'd upset him, but he loosened his grip when I wiggled a little.

"Are you okay 'Getti?" I tilted my head back, trying to look at him, but he just squeezed me and pulled me closer so he could hide just above my head.

"Yeah," he said softly. "Just don't break again okay?"

That hit me hard, made my heart ache. I hugged him as tightly as I could. I think I heard him make a little noise but he didn't move to make me let him go. I let up on my grip but kept my arms wrapped around him and fell asleep again. Pintel came down a little after that, with Bill right behind him. He turned to go back, but Bill blocked him and motioned him to go to me. I woke up at them squabbling about it.

"She's asleep! I don't want to wake her up!"

Bill crossed his arms, "Too bad." Pintel glanced at me and sighed.

"Hey, Princess." That's his favorite nickname for me. Says that because I told him how my theivery had driven off the visits by nobles. If my mother really was a whore then it was probable that I was probably of royal blood.

"She thinks you're afraid of her, she won't stop crying about it," Bill said. "Thanks," I said. "Make me feel bad about crying. I've never cried before this!" "Bet you weren't part fish either," Bill replied softly.

"Ass," I muttered and buried my face against Ragetti's chest. He petted me. "Don't say things like that. They sound bad com'n from you," Ragetti said.

"Because I'm a girl?"

"No, cause you're you and too nice to say things like that." It was the nicest thing anybody ever said to me.

"Thank you 'Getti."

Pintel had moved closer and touch my shoulder, stroking my hair absentmindedly. "Why would you think I was afraid of you? Cause of las' night?" I nodded and peeked up at him.

"Aren't you? You looked scared." He frowned and flicked my head.

"Do I look scared to you?" I frowned back at him, "You would be if I hissed at you with fangs and had those damned fins out."

He shook his head, "Nope. I know it's you now."

"You didn't know it was me?" He shook his head again. "How's that?"

"You moved too fast," Ragetti said. "You were just a blur and it was dark." Pintel kicked Ragetti's rump from under the hammock, making him flail enough that I had to be caught before I hit the ground. Ragetti landed on his back on the floor and glared at Pintel, who'd swooped me up into his arms.

"Yer jus' lucky you caught her," Ragetti said.

"Well you'd still be lay'n down if ya hadn't interrupted me."

I tugged on Pintel's ear, "Shut up Pint and put me down. I'm not a child." He set me on my feet, "You sure act like one sometimes."

I glared at him and stomped on his foot, then ducked around him to dart over to Bill. Bill grabbed me and tickled me mercilessly. I finally collapsed on the floor, unable to hold myself up.

"Say it!" Bill said. I shook my head, "NEVER!" Pintel helped Ragetti up and they watched me about choke to death on laughter. Bill patted my back as I coughed. "You're a stubborn one."

I laughed a little, then promptly coughed again.

"She better not be getting sick," Barbosa's voice said from the stairs. I swear everyone jumped.

"No sir, she just fell and it knocked the wind out of her," Bill said as he helped me up.

"Would you get rid of me if I were sick Cap'n?" I asked, using his newly attained status. He laughed and shook his head.

"Nay, lass. I wouldn't. Yer too valuable to just toss aside. But you would cost a lot if you needed a doctor, that'd be unfortunate." He stepped down and took hold of my chin, turning my face side to side. I glared at him while he did it. "You seem okay, did you hurt yerself fall'in?"

I checked my wrist and ankles, "I don't think anything's hurt. I have a sore leg though."

"Check and make sure she's just bruised Bootstraps. You two get back to work." Ragetti and Pintel followed Barbosa back up the stairs and Bill sat me down to look at my leg.

"You don't seem to be bruised, are you sure it hurts here?" I shook my head, "My leg doesn't hurt. Actually I just wanted to ask you about my neck, cause I remember trying to yank off my fins."

I focused on my 'inner sea' and willed the fins to come out. They fanned out and framed my face, "Are there any marks?" Bill touched my face fins gently, inspecting both sides.

"There are slight blue tints to the green scales in some spots near the base, but other than that they seem fine. You tried to rip them off?" I nodded.

Bill sighed and then ruffled my hair, a favorite thing of his and Pintel's to do. "You're an odd one. Just don't rip off anything else okay?"

I laughed, "I'm not making any promises. But I don't think I'll try to do that again. It hurt."

"I would think so," He tugged on my hair playfully. "Come on and I'll set you up in your favorite spot with the sewing, all right?"

I groaned, "Clothes or sails?"

"Both," he said with a fake evil laugh.

"You stink at that Bill. Wait! Both?!"

I followed him up the stairs and spent the day under the staircase with all the mending, completely covered in shade so the sun didn't bother me much.

"Lucky wench," Pintel grumbled as he walked up the staircase I was under. I merely stuck my tongue out at him. Bill had obviously done more than his share of chores, while Pintel and Ragetti were just finishing up theirs. We were the only ones that really ran in a orderly way, while everyone else was assigned to certain parts of the ship with certain things to be done, they all did it their own way and in their own time. Most of the people were kind of cut between day and night workers, while there were a lot of men who were usually kept for just looting or manning the guns.

Pintel, Ragetti, Bill and I did all sorts of jobs all over the ship and at any time. We were main hands, as I've said, and would be complained about if we didn't stay on top of everything.

"Rain!" Our new Captain hollered at me from his door. I jumped up and almost tripped.

"Yes Captain?"

"Come in here and help me check our course." I tried to use my 'gift' without bringing up any scales or fins. It worked and I was able to chart a better course for him.

"There you go, we'll be there in a few hours I think."

"How many is a few lass?" I shrugged, "Two and a half, maybe three."

"Good."

I think that might have been when I noticed the dark streak of my new Captain. I knew he was nice, at the core of him, that he was more than just a scheming pirate. He had a bad greedy streak for money and power. Not the power you usually think of, but the power of the ship and over the men. He liked the leadership luxury. Poor Jack, I would have hated to see Jack stuck somewhere with no hope and a gun to his head. I silently hoped he'd find The Pearl again, soon enough and put that bullet to good use.

After we'd dropped off Jack to his 'supposed' doom, I noticed that Bill was acting a little odd. He and Ragetti turned out to be the only ones I would speak to. I informed the Captain of my short length vow of silence to show my disgruntlement towards the bad treatment of someone I had considered family. He said that was fine as long as I still worked and would temporarily break the vow if emergencies need me to. I agreed I would and didn't speak for a while after. Bill, I had snubbed for about a day until he came to my little spot and silently started to help me maintenance the pistols.

"I don't like what they did to Jack," he said bluntly. "It wasn't right and I just don't think it should have gone about that way."

"I hope he got off of there. I hope he's okay."

Bill hugged me, "I can't stand sticking around and not saying anything. He wasn't a terrible Captain and he was a good man. Their reasons just don't seem right in the end of it all." I nodded my head and buried my face in his shoulder.

"He was."

I didn't think he'd do anything, or say anything but he would comment about it every once in while. He and I were back on talking terms immediately, but I wish he'd let go of the Jack thing. It only made the others angry. Ragetti had been smart enough to just go along with it all and let Pintel talk for him, instead of protesting and getting himself killed. They wouldn't kill me because the new Captain liked me and needed me, but the others weren't as 'valued'.

I didn't hold too much of a grudge for Pintel either, because he was keeping his own head clean too. I just wish he hadn't acted as excited as the others were. If it was all an act, I would have thought there would be some tip, but I didn't see anything. So I stayed mad at him for about a week and didn't speak to him, not once did I break down or forget. The Captain's snubbing was twice as long, because he was the whole reason why Jack was supposed to be dead. I kept praying, to any God that could hear me, to make sure Jack was okay and alive.


	3. Chapter 3

There were months in between the time we got rid of Jack and started to try and find the treasure that ended up to be their undoing. Then years before the curse of the treasure truly set in, but in that time I grew up a little more and started to only sleep in Ragetti's hammock. I asked him why he didn't try and make advances on me.

He shrugged, "You don't like that stuff. So I don't ask or try." I was playing with the tip of his collar, folding it and unfolding it.

"Did you want to do 'that stuff' 'Getti?"

He nodded and shrugged again, "But I won't cause you don't like it." I raised an eyebrow.

"Just because I don't want these other ninnies to do that to me, doesn't necessarily mean I don't like it. You guys are protecting me from UN-wanted people. I'm not against the act itself if it's with someone I WANT to be with."

I kissed him, softly, on the lips. I think he would have wanted to make more of it but I backed off quickly so we could finish our conversation and not draw any attention to us.

"And 'Getti, just because I was raised in a whorehouse doesn't mean I'm against it. Is that all the stuff you thought I was thinking and feeling?"

He nodded, "Jus' made sense."

"Let's go."

Ragetti set me on my feet before attempting to get up, then followed me as we made our way to our little hiding room. After that first night of telling fairytales until we both fell asleep, the gunpowder room had become our frequent hiding room. Only Bill and Pintel knew where to find us. Of course I'd learned enough from carpenters and locksmiths when we stopped on land, to make a wooden latch on the door to keep any unwanted visitors from bothering us.

That night, as Ragetti and I silently slipped back down the familiar steps, our bond took the last few steps. The usual time when I'd read to him or we'd share stories we'd been hearing on land, when I'd tell him of the sea and my dreams of previous nights, or even share soft kisses and caresses, was spent much differently that night. As well as many of the nights after, so that I didn't really notice the black color the charm had taken on. I should have, but I think I just subconsciously didn't care, or at least didn't want to notice so that the 'accident' could happen.

No one really noticed anything different about me, except for Ragetti. He loved the way I was changing, even if they were subtle changes. He said everything about me was glowing a little more every day, making me shine.

"I don't know if that's good or bad 'Getti. Why would I shine?" He blushed and tweaked my nose.

"Yeh din't noticed yer blood time passed by did ya?" I frowned and counted in my head the days and nights, aligning the moon and my regular pattern. Then I grabbed the necklace and faced what I had tried not to think about, the black charm.

"Pintel is going to kill us," I muttered.

Ragetti grinned and hugged me. He kept whispering, in a low sing song voice, "Baby...baby." I had to smile with him and enjoy the feeling that was coming over me, despite the negativity that this might bring.

"Maybe we should try and tell Pintel and Bill, 'Getti?"

"What do ya have to tell?" I rolled my eyes and turned around to face Bill.

"You have developed a nasty habit of doing that to me. You should work on it." He smiled, but it faded around the edges as he took a good look at me, Ragetti's attention to me bringing his more closely on any changes in me. I sincerely only noticed that I seemed a bit bloated, which didn't register as pregnant but as a blood flow coming.

"You seem a little different Siren. An fer some reason this seems familiar." He touched my hair and turned my chin so he could look at my profile. His gaze drifted over my body and he focused on my face again.

"Oh no," he muttered and back away with his eyes wide. "You aren't...tell me you're not."

I let my shoulders droop and motioned for Bill to follow me. We stepped below decks and down to where the rum was kept, Ragetti right on our heals.

"I apparently missed last month's blood, Bill. The charm turned black without me noticing."

I took it off and handed it to him.

"The only way it turns that color is if it's used a lot," he said, giving me a look only a father could pull off. It made us both squirm and feel very uncomfortable.

"At least you stuck with one, instead of going for a handful," he said with a grin. I think my expression was what he was hoping for, indignant and angry, because he started to laugh. "Won't that be an interesting thing to see? A babe on a Pirate ship."

I shook my head, "I'm going away when I'm close to going into labor. I doubt you lot could handle helping me go through labor." Ragetti looked a little green and Bill covered his mouth to hide the smile, shaking his head.

"Let's not tell Pintel and the Captain. See how long it takes them to notice anything," I suggested.

Bill laughed and headed up the stairs, "Twisted little..." I didn't hear what else he said, probably a good thing, because Ragetti pulled me further into the room. We exchanged a few intimate caresses, until Ragetti finally just squatted down in front of me and put his ear to my stomach.

"I don't think you can hear it 'Getti. It's just a little thing right now." He grinned and whispered, "Baby," before kissing my stomach and pulling me with him back up the stairs to complete the rest of our duties.

I was starting to show a little after a few weeks. So, when we made a stop I bought some fabric to sew into a more flattering top. I put my normal shirt and bustier in a bag hidden in my little spot under the stairs. That day Pintel eyed my stomach.

"I've never seen yeh gain weight girl, what've you been..." he trailed off, starring at my stomach. I waved my hand in front of his face.

"You all right Pinters? What were you saying about me being 'fat'?" I gave a half hearted glare.

"So thas why you've been nicer. Damn it! Were ya ever gonna tell me!?" I stuck my tongue out at him. He growled and muttered, finished up what he was doing real fast and grabbed me at the elbow, leading me down the steps below decks.

"Explain," he said firmly. I raised my eyebrows, a little confused as to what he wanted me to explain.

"I'm pregnant. Is that a good enough explanation for ya? And don't you dare insult me and Ragetti by asking 'who the father is', cause you well know I haven't eyes for anyone else." He sat down and put his face in his hands.

"Pint? You all right? I'm sorry I was mean." I sat down next to him and tweaked his ear, "Please don't be upset." He pulled me into a hug with a laugh.

"Upset!? How can I be upset!?" I hugged him back, "Good. Cause I'd have to kick you if you were upset at us."

He snickered, "US? You're gonna start act'n like yer married aren't ya?"

I blushed, "Oh shut up!" I punched his shoulder then he grabbed me and put me in my hammock.

"Stay," he ordered and ran up the steps. I stayed and made circles on my slightly protruding belly. I'll need to alter this shirt later if it's gonna fit a bigger belly, I thought. I recognized Pintel's and the Captain's steps as they came down. Barbosa didn't seem angry when he came up and peered down at me. When I tried to get up he just gently put a hand on my shoulder to keep me down.

"Stay in bed lass, don't do any work but mending and rope work. You're the best out of this lot, I don't want you to get hurt."

I realized how much he liked me, thought me as a daughter more than a crew man...well, woman...when he kissed the top of my head and patted my cheek. Pintel gave me a funny face that said, 'Where'd THAT come from?' I shrugged and shook my head. Sometimes I think that's why he let them hurt Bill. He and Bill were the only father figures I had, since Pintel was more like a brother and Ragetti was obviously my lover. Maybe he felt he needed to rid himself of any 'competition'? I hope it was just stupidity.

It was after they had gotten that stupid treasure, and the curse had set in all the way. Seeing them in the moonlight the first time had me almost faint. Pintel and 'Getti moved quick back into shaded area and took me below decks. Barbosa followed and said I wouldn't have to be on deck at night again. I was far along by then though. Pintel and Ragetti had made sure to buy me proper clothes and a chest to put them all in, as well as my old clothes. I still wore trousers but usually wore a skirt at night, never bothered to actually get shoes, and I had an assortment of shirts specifically made for a pregnant woman. It was night and there were thick clouds that stayed over the moon, keeping the others normal looking for the time being. I was dozing under my, wearing my favorite night dress, having just finished the mending and sent Ragetti off with it, when I heard the ruckus.

Ragetti came flying out of the hatch and ran over to where I was.

"What is it? What's going on?" I asked, afraid of the answer, already knowing what it must be. Bill had said he couldn't keep quiet, so he hadn't been quiet, about Jack. Now, I was afraid they had finally gotten angry enough to do something to him.

"Jus, don't do anything Siren. Please? You mi' get hurt," Ragetti pleaded putting a hand on my stomach protectively. I could feel the tears start to fall.

"It's Bill." He nodded, even though I hadn't said it like a question.

Pintel came up next, darting to the stairs, "Don't let her go Ragetti, got it?" Ragetti nodded and held on to me tight.

I smacked his hands off, "Don't even 'Getti! I have to stop them!" I used my fins to make him jump in surprise, then used the moment to dart past Pintel and to where the crowd had spilled from the hatch. They were carrying a protesting Bill and something large that I couldn't make out in the lack of light.

It might have been a blessing to not see the crew as demonic skeletons, but damned it all for the lack of moonlight to see by.

"Stop! Stop it you idiots!" I punched and bit my way through, digging the claws that had formed on my hands to hurt them enough to make them let me go by. I knew some of them couldn't feel it anymore, but it still was a shock to have someone claw you with huge talons.

"Bill!"

"Get away Siren! Go!"

Someone grabbed my shoulder, "Don't be get'n in the middle of this lass." I looked up at Barbosa.

"Do something! Stop them!" He shook his head.

"Can't. This is what happens when you make men like them angry. Bootstraps should have known to keep quiet 'bout Jack." I wrenched away from him but two other pairs of arms grabbed onto me. I couldn't claw Pintel and Ragetti, so they kept putting me in that position. I would either have to hurt them to make them let me go or just let them hold onto me. My knees gave way when they tied him to whatever it was they had, I still couldn't make it out. I bit the hands that held me, finally giving in and hurting them, then ran to Bill. I grabbed his hand and hissed with my fangs out at the ones around us.

"I'll swim down and save you," I whispered. "I'll save you, I won't let them take you from me." Bill shook his head.

"You'll strain yourself and hurt the baby." I was crying, letting the tears fall as free as they wanted.

"But you're like my father. I can't..." I shook my head, unable to finish my sentence.

"You remember something, girl. I love you as if you were my own flesh and blood. You have always been a daughter to me and I'm proud of you." He kissed my cheek and pushed me away. A bunch of the men grabbed me then, I hissed and snarled, but to no avail. Then didn't care, they just were too consumed by their murderous game. I tried to sing, but the tears kept blocking my voice.

"Won't work lass," Barbosa said, "Your song can't touch someone's heart if it don't beat anymore." I glared at him and turned to try to sing again, but they finally pushed Bill over, so I screamed instead. The high pitch tone that came from my mouth was startling even to me, but it brought the others to their knees.

I jumped past them, still screeching and dived in after Bill. My dress let my legs form together and I swam as fast as I could, but Bill had had a head start and was being pulled under faster than I could get to him.

Finally the pressure of the water made it too hard for me to breath, even with my gills.

"BILL!" I shouted. I knew my Siren voice could be heard. "Go back," he said, the sea pulling the words to me.

"I love you too!" I yelled back. I knew, through the sea, that he smiled and that tears would have been shed if he could.

"Goodbye," we both said before I started back up through the waters. Sharks, whales, dolphins, and all sorts of other sea creatures in the vicinity were waiting in the waters above me. I petted the sharks and hugged the dolphins. The whales sang a song of a lost one for me. I joined them and let the larger one take me back to the surface. Ragetti and Pintel were looking over the edge, anxiously waiting for me.

"If she went too deep and got herself hurt, I'll kill her," Pintel was grumbling.

"Don't say tha!" Ragetti howled. Even Barbosa was waiting, pacing.

"Do you really think that man cares?" I asked the whale. The whale gave me feelings of uncertainty. It felt that the man had more than one side and was confusing. I nodded, "You're right. So he does and doesn't."

I laid down on the whale's back, as we made our slow progress towards the surface. Pintel and Ragetti were in an uproar about seeing me, but Barbosa was going on about the whales that were popping up everywhere. They all started to sing the song of mourning again, and I sang it with them once more. There was a splash behind me and when I turned I found Ragetti struggling to get to me. I reached out and a little wave pulled him to me easily. He grabbed me and hugged me tight, careful of my stomach.

"Pintel kept saying you were dead," he said.

I kept singing and rubbed his shoulders and back soothingly. When the song finally faded I looked up to see the deck was full of the crew. Pintel looked like he wanted to come out to us, but was a bit afraid. When I looked around I saw the sharks swimming just below the whales, understanding his leeriness to get in the water.

"Why'd you jump in if there were sharks?" I asked Ragetti.

He shook his head, "I din't care."

The whale that was holding us up made a little noise, telling me that the sharks would leave if I asked. So I dunked my head in the water and praised the sharks for their attentiveness, asking them to go ahead and continue their previous activities and that I was quite fine now. I felt little waves of love from all the fish below us, directed to me, as they dispersed and swam away.

"Did I call you?" I asked the whale while I was still under water. The whale sent me a mental image of me and my feelings of pain, telling me they felt compelled to detour off their normal way to see me.

"Thank you, for everything."

The whale slipped under the water, swimming away from us slowly and careful not to hit us with it's tail or fins. The whales all cried goodbye and sang a little as they all swam away.

There was a splash from the boat again. Ragetti and I turned to see Pintel swimming out with a rope in hand, one end held by the other men on the boat.

"Come on you two idiots! Let's go!" He tied us with the rope and then grabbed onto us.

"Pull 'em up lads!" Barbosa hollered. We were pulled up back on deck, soaked, and my large fin back to my original two legs. My gills were gone, as were the webbing on my hands, but I still had fins on my head, on my wrists and feet. The crew was muttering about mermaids and the eerie songs of the whales, in an awed hushed tone.

"What are yeh all star'n at!? Get back to what yeh were do'n yeh scurvy dogs!" Barbosa yelled as he pulled rank as Captain. They left, but I saw the gleam in their eyes. Pintel saw it too.

"This isn't good. Did ya get to Bootstraps?" I shook my head.

"He was too far down, pulled by whatever they tied him to. But I did get to talk to him before he got too far off, just before the pressure made it un-breathable for me." I glared at Barbosa. "I'm leaving now, doing all that seems to have irritated my baby. I need to head off before I go into labor."

Ragetti jumped up, "I'll get a boat." Pintel grabbed him and pulled him back to sitting with me on the deck.

"Yeh can't be going with 'er mate," Pintel said. Ragetti looked from me to Pintel and back again.

"Why?"

I shrugged, "Beats me. I figured I'd tie some ropes to some big fish or sharks and have them pull you while I rode with something under water." Pintel puffed up a little, getting irritated.

"Yeh can't go cause we have business to take care of!" Ragetti seemed to understand that and looked like he wanted to cry.

"What? NO! He has to come," I said. Barbosa shook his head and started to pull Ragetti away. I didn't have time to reach out and grab him, because he pulled me to him and moved away from Barbosa.

"I'll say goodbye first," he said firmly. Pintel nodded and glowered at Barbosa, as if daring him to protest. Barbosa muttered and stormed across the deck to his quarters, slamming the door behind him.

"Don't worry," Pintel said softly. "You can come back with the baby and by then we'll have gotten rid of this curse." The moon was still covered, so I didn't have to see their odd forms. It was a little disturbing for me. Ragetti nodded, looking sad and lost. Pintel rolled his eyes and stood up, turning away from us. Ragetti laughed and kissed me, hugging me to him tightly after. I closed my eyes and just clung to him for a moment. Then I felt Pintel hug us both, kissing my head and then burying his face in my hair.

"Come back soon. It'll be hell here without ya," Pintel said. I nodded and pulled away.

"Save my trunk 'Getti, put it somewhere safe. And Pint, take care of yourself and 'Getti. Promise you will." He crossed his heart.

"I swear and give yeh my oath that we'll be fine until you get back." I nodded then gave him a halfhearted glare, "Don't be so mean to him either, okay?" Pintel grinned, "No promises there lass."

"Oye! I'm sittin right here!" Ragetti protested.

I tweaked his nose, like he always does to me.

"Behave and keep your head low. Without Bill and me here you two will probably get pushed down the ranks. So just keep your head down." Pintel hugged me tight and stalked over to the railing. Ragetti hugged me and kissed me once more.

"Be safe," I whispered and then darted over the railing before either of them could react. I swam backwards, waving as Ragetti frantically waved at me and Pintel stood and watched my progress mournfully. It was so hard, but eventually they got so far that I just dove beneath the water, then I wouldn't have to see them sail into the horizon. I would miss them all so much.

"Keep them safe," I prayed, hoping someone would hear me.


End file.
